Monday, June 2, 2014

Shocking! Even the NRA has limits on gun nuttery UPDATED

T IS FOR TOTING: Even the NRA isn't happy about the gun nuts of Texas.

Even the NRA has a limit on gun foolishness. It has issued a strong statement about the bully boys in the open carry movement who've been making a show of their semi-automatic firepower in Texas chain restaurants. The NRA said gun toters had "crossed the line from enthusiasm to downright foolishness" in their restaurant displays. It warned of political backlash.

Open carry fetishists in Arkansas have largely worn their strap-ons in public street marches. Strap-ons on parade aren't mentioned specifically by the NRA. The NRA mainly targets the Texas push to brandish long guns. But the statement has some application anywhere a gun nut makes a show of wagging his strap-on in others' faces. (Emphasis supplied.)

Recently, demonstrators have been showing up in various public places, including coffee shops and fast food restaurants, openly toting a variety of tactical long guns. Unlicensed open carry of handguns is legal in about half the U.S. states, and it is relatively common and uncontroversial in some places.

Yet while unlicensed open carry of long guns is also typically legal in most places, it is a rare sight to see someone sidle up next to you in line for lunch with a 7.62 rifle slung across his chest, much less a whole gaggle of folks descending on the same public venue with similar arms.

Let's not mince words, not only is it rare, it's downright weird and certainly not a practical way to go normally about your business while being prepared to defend yourself. To those who are not acquainted with the dubious practice of using public displays of firearms as a means to draw attention to oneself or one's cause, it can be downright scary. It makes folks who might normally be perfectly open-minded about firearms feel uncomfortable and question the motives of pro-gun advocates.

As a result of these hijinx, two popular fast food outlets have recently requested patrons to keep guns off the premises (more information can be found here and here). In other words, the freedom and goodwill these businesses had previously extended to gun owners has been curtailed because of the actions of an attention-hungry few who thought only of themselves and not of those who might be affected by their behavior. To state the obvious, that's counterproductive for the gun owning community.

More to the point, it's just not neighborly, which is out of character for the big-hearted residents of Texas. Using guns merely to draw attention to yourself in public not only defies common sense, it shows a lack of consideration and manners. That's not the Texas way. And that's certainly not the NRA way.

In summary, NRA certainly does not support bans on personalized guns or on carrying firearms in public, including in restaurants. We think people are intelligent enough to resolve these issues in a reasonable way for themselves. But when people act without thinking, or without consideration for others – especially when it comes to firearms – they set the stage for further restrictions on our rights. Firearm owners face enough challenges these days; we don't need to be victims of friendly fire.

The headline is prompted by an article in this morning's Democrat-Gazette about Rep. Charlie Collins' plan to continue to try to force concealed weapons onto college campuses. /more/

Analysis by Nate Silver seems to show one clear and dramatic impact of FBI Director James Comey's re-injection of the Clinton email investigation into the election: Damage down ballot, where control of the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance. /more/

Here's the Sunday open line. Another day of senseless slaughter with no immediate answers for many questions. /more/

The Guardian takes a look at gun control in a way that turned up a couple of Little Rock angles. The city's murder rate is higher than Chicago and it has a Republican congressman who's at least willing to talk about measures to address crime. /more/

Mark Hughes, an advocate of open carry of firearms, is understandably unhappy about being identified for a time as a suspect in the slaying of five Dallas police officers. /more/

Though Republican leadership adjourned the U.S. House of Representatives late last night, Democrats continued a sit-in and speechmaking on the House floor in protest of Republican refusal to allow votes on pending gun control measures. Of course it was a publicity stunt. /more/

The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear a constitutional challenge to a Connecticut law passed after the Sandy Hook slaughter that banned certain semi-automatic assault weapons and large capacity magazines. /more/

A tribute to a great school teacher, Susan Turner Purvis, who died yesterday. Far too soon.

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